Framingham: Pro-city group far outspent foes

Monday

May 8, 2017 at 8:59 PMMay 8, 2017 at 8:59 PM

Jonathan Dame Daily News Staff @DameReports

FRAMINGHAM – The political organization that helped convince voters to adopt a new city form of government spent more than $89,000 over a two-year period on its campaign, far exceeding expenditures by an anti-charter group formed earlier this year, records show.

From paying signature collectors to initiate a charter review in 2015 to mailing information to voters about the proposed city charter in spring 2017, Framingham First was a key player in the ultimately successful effort last month to do away with a town government many saw as inefficient and outdated.

The ballot question committee spent $89,194 between 2015 and 2017, dwarfing the roughly $10,000 campaign run by the group Not This Charter, which formed in late January 2017 to oppose the city charter, according to campaign finance records filed with the town clerk.

On April 4, voters decided by a 112-vote margin to enact a new charter making Framingham – the state’s largest town – a city, replacing Town Meeting and the town manager with a City Council and a mayor. With more than 11,000 ballots cast, turnout was 28 percent.

Reports detailing fundraising and spending in the final weeks of the campaign were due last week. Framingham First spent $33,336 in 2017, including $3,975 on legal services during an April 24 recount. The group printed lawn signs, hired consultants, advertised on Facebook, and mailed information to voters’ homes.

Not This Charter reported expenditures of $6,607, printing brochures and lawn signs, and mailing postcards. The group accepted $1,288 worth of in-kind donations, including website services and signs.

Not This Charter still needs to reimburse a supporter for around $2,200 spent on the postcard mailing, an item not explicitly accounted for in its filings, according to the group’s treasurer, Hank Moran. Not This Charter has $1,560 left in the bank, but could also report the postcard expense as an in-kind donation.

Another anti-city group, Framingham Not For Sale, raised $430 and spent $12 between June 2016 and mid-March 2017, filings show.

Framingham First formed in late June 2015 with the goal of collecting the 5,660 signatures required to place a charter review question on the ballot. It raised more than $47,000 in its first six months from local businesses and residents.

The committee spent $21,402 in 2015 and nearly $33,000 in early 2016 on efforts to convince voters to form a nine-member Charter Commission to recommend changes to the existing government.

Opponents of the city charter later proposed by that Charter Commission after months of study raised concerns that money played a role in bringing about the charter review in the first place.

“Without the money, the ballot question wouldn’t have been on the ballot to begin with, most likely,” said Teri Banerjee, who served on the Charter Commission but opposed its final proposal and became active with Not This Charter.

Banerjee said her side was gaining momentum in the final weeks and did “remarkably well” given its limited time and money.

Dennis Cardiff, who served as treasurer of Framingham First before its dissolution earlier this month, said he wasn’t sure money was “the factor” in the charter election.

“I think it was the hard work on both sides,” Cardiff said.

Selectman Jason Smith, the founding chairman of Framingham First who later stepped away from that role to serve on the Charter Commission, argued residents made up their minds based on the multiple forums held by the Charter Commission.

Smith also defended the pro-city group from criticism over accepting donations from some local businesses, such as $15,000 from Framingham-based information technology company Focus Optimal and $10,000 from Southborough-based developer Brendon Properties in 2015.

“They have business here, they are paying the (tax) rates here in Framingham, why shouldn’t they be involved?” Smith said, adding many of the same businesses also donated to community charities and fundraisers.

Moran of Not This Charter claimed the charter might have been defeated if the election were held later, calling the close margin “remarkable.”

“But it is what it is and now we’re moving forward to accept the result,” Moran said. “Now we’re figuring out what’s next to do.”

Jonathan Dame can be reached at 508-626-3919 or jdame@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @DameReports

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